Audi Acquires Motorcycle Maker Ducati

German luxury car maker Audi, a unit of Volkswagen AG, said it acquired Italian motorcycle company Ducati Motor Holding SpA from Investindustrial Group. The move ends months of speculation about the rumored deal. Audi said Ducati will become its “third pillar” in Northern Italy with exotic car maker Lamborghini and design firm Italdesign.

Ducati, which has a rich racing history is a symbolic trophy purchase for Volkswagen. However, the motorcycle maker’s experience in building lightweight chassis and components, and generating high horsepower from small engines would be attractive to any car company trying to combine high performance with fuel efficiency.